


After the Play

by walrusgrendel



Category: Jade Empire
Genre: During Chapter Three, F/F, Fluff, Pre-Relationship, right after The Play's the Thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 23:59:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15376260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walrusgrendel/pseuds/walrusgrendel
Summary: Lian helps the Spirit Monk remove her makeup after the play.





	After the Play

Evening had already fallen on the Golden Way by the time the play had concluded and Jen Zi shuffled away from Phong and back towards where Silk Fox was waiting for her. 

“I have to admit, you did make a convincing Lady Fourteen Flowers.” Lian shook her head, “Still an utter waste of time that could have been spent in the arena, though.” 

“For once, I agree.” Jen Zi said, grimacing as she moved, “Nothing was worth all this.” The two headed into the playhouse by the pagoda. Most of the other actors had already cleared out for the Market District to celebrate a successful performance and the two were left alone in the cramped space, surrounded on all sides by mouldering costumes and pots of makeup. 

“Will you help me with this?” The Spirit Monk poked at the elaborate style her hair had been forced up into, “Phong did it like this and I have no idea how to get it back out.” 

“If I must.” Lian put on an air of annoyance, before moving to stand behind Jen Zi, reaching to unwind the headpiece first before she started on the hair. “This sort of style went out of fashion before I was born.” 

“Probably because it’s so annoying to deal with.” Jen Zi frowned. 

The red band came loose at last and Lian started to pluck at the hairs holding the style in place. Jen Zi’s hair was surprisingly soft in her hands, and Lian suddenly realised that she had never seen the other woman wear it loose before. She sped up. Finally, it all unravelled to pour down Jen Zi’s back like a sudden cascade of water. 

“Stay there.” Lian told her and reached towards the nearest table where a cloth and bowl of water were already prepared. Lian walked around to face Jen Zi. “Close your eyes.” 

“Why?” 

“I’m going to try and get all that makeup off.” 

Jen Zi nodded and let her eyes drift shut. Lian wetted the cloth and lifted it to wipe away the white and red paint that had already begun to flake. It took even longer to undo than the hair and she tried not to push too hard or risk doing any damage. Mentally, Lian cursed whoever had decided to cake the Spirit Monk’s face with stage makeup. The stuff was notoriously difficult to manage. 

She wasn’t sure why she was helping to remove it. Jen Zi wore makeup often enough to know how to remove it as well, but she had simply acted without thinking. Jen Zi made a soft noise of complaint as Lian put too much force into her movements as she cleaned the paint from around her eye. 

“Sorry.” She mumbled. 

“It’s alright.” Jen Zi smiled, “No harm done.” 

A few moments more and Jen Zi stood before her, totally bare-faced. Lian felt suddenly, strangely awkward wearing her mask and abruptly stepped back before she could act on her impulse to remove it. 

From there it would only be a simple movement to press her uncovered lips to the other woman’s. 

Jen Zi still hadn’t opened her eyes. 

“I’ll be outside. Let me know when you’ve changed.” She said and, with a speed she normally relied on when escaping Lotus Assassins, Lian bolted from the room. 

Once out in the Golden Way, she took a gulp of the heady evening air. It was the heat of the day, still hanging over the street that was making her sweat and her heart race. Surely it was to blame for the mad impulse to remove her mask. Such an action in the heart of Death’s Hand’s power, in a room where anyone could burst in would be the height of foolishness. 

And yet…she could not stop wondering what would have happened if she had followed that instinct. 

By the time Lian had gathered herself, Jen Zi was walking out in her usual red and blue silks. Her hair was still hanging loose over a shoulder. 

“Managed it in the end.” Jen Zi smiled. Lian did her best to look anywhere but her face, “You couldn’t pay me to wear something like that again- I could barely move!” 

“Mmm.” Lian said eloquently. 

Jen Zi reached into a pocket and retrieved the white strips of silk that held up her hair. She was just about to tie it back when Lian spoke up, 

“Your hair looks good down like that.” 

“Really?” Jen Zi looked down and Lian noticed she was smiling a little, “It’s been so long since I last had it down. Means it can’t get in the way in a fight.” She tucked the silk back into her pocket, “I guess there’s probably no danger of that tonight though.” Jen Zi looked up and Lian was struck by the grin that she was wearing. 

_Radiant was an apt title_. Some part of her whispered.

“Come on, we should tell Incisive Chorus how it went.”


End file.
